Ready to Live?

Good morning church, it’s a good day to be in the word today. We are going to continue our study on being ready. This week’s question, “Are you Ready to Live,” is such an important one. It is completely different that being ready for life. See being ready for life is passive and living life is active. It is taking a proactive posture about yourself, not waiting for life to hit you hard, but stepping out and living your life in accordance with God’s will. I will reiterate that God call us to this in when He says: read

Pray

Bring white board up for example, have regrets/sins on half of the white board and explain. I have tons of regrets in my life, things I wished I would have done differently or things that would have worked out differently, how about you? You know, if we don’t have Christ this is what life is all about. This is how people justify their existence, this is how people justify how they live. Well, I am here to tell you there is a better justification out there, but are you ready to live?

I. Live in Peace –

A. Justified – Rom 5:23-25

1. He is our justification

a. He proves us right

b. Good O Meter video

2. Set up the New Covenant

a. By His blood/Resurrection

b. New Covenant fulfilled the old

i. Wrath is Gone

ii. Punishment is gone

a. for those that believe

c. Think about creditors contract

B. Jesus Faith, not our own

1. Son of God

a. A part of trinity

b. God has made reparations -

i. We did the wrong

ii. He fixed it

2. Not something we could do

a. I know we have been trying

b. Justify your own existence

c. Our purpose is in Him

d. Use second half of white board

i. write down justifications

3. Without His justification

a. No Peace

b. Chasing our tails

C. We are at Peace with God –

1. Objective Peace

a. Not subjective

i. Not a feeling

ii. Not about us

b. We are at peace with Him

i. A state of rest with someone

ii. No longer at war

c. Coming to peace with others example

i. Do you Know

ii. Reconciliation with Grandpa

2. Gives all the peace necessary

a. No longer at war

b. Kind of like peace between countries

i. Peace between people

c. No longer in a state of wondering

II. Live in Joy –

A. Perseverance

1. As we endure joy grows

a. Comes from Spirit

i. Love of God

b. Without the Spirit it is impossible

2. Think about children

a. They can disappoint

b. Never give up on them

c. When they succeed we rejoice

d. But have to suffer the failures

e. Know the Joy is worth it

3. Spirit gives us peseverence from love

a. Through the hard stuff

b. Know the joy

c. understand that this has to be experienced

i. Does not come from anywhere else

B. Character

1. Godly character develops

a. Character that is strong

d. Ready to do God’s will

c. Ready to strive

2. Character that defeats sin –

a. It relies on the Spirit

b. Knows the joy of obedience

c. Believes it is possible

C. Hope

1. Hope then grows

a. Like an equation

b. Realize that it all adds up

c. Watch the spiritual success add up

2. As we a closer to heaven

a. Being Christlike

b. Seeing a bit of perfection now

c. Attaining that peek at perfection

3. Life of Joy prevails from hope

a. Nothing compares to the hope of Christ

b. It is a forever promise

c. Promise that we have been justified and forgiven

III. Live in Forgiveness –

A. Ties it all together

a. Reminds us Grace is free

b. I am unworthy

B. He died for me anyway

a. Whether I choose to accept it or not

b. His love doesn’t change because of me

c. Something to pass on to others

C. Final piece a peaceful life

a. Realizing the slate is wiped clean

i. Erase board

b. Realizing you are free

c. Realizing that the burden is gone

i. weight is gone

d. Story of Johnson and test failures

Conclusion:

If you walk away with anything today I want you to understand this, our salvation is complete and final. This is proven by living your life with peace, living your life with joy and living your life forgiven. You must realize that life will happen, but if you follow God’s plan and live as he has intended us, you will find peace, joy and forgiveness you cannot understand. Earlier I wiped the slate clean on the board, but that was not the end of the story, if it was, our lives will fill right back up with the same stuff, NO! Instead God chooses to fill our lives up with the great things we have learned today, character, forgiveness both for ourselves and others, perseverance, joy, hope and confidence in a salvation that does not end and can never be taken away. I want you to take that home with you, this board and all that’s on it, take it home and live your life by these standards and Jesus promises us a life that is justified and full of peace, joy and forgiveness.